Whangamata’s main arterial link to the north reopened to two-lane traffic this week after a fortnight of stop-go management, but motorists heading over the Kopu-Hikuai summit face a further six weeks of night works as Waka Kotahi pushes to finish drainage and shoulder repairs before the Christmas holiday rush.
The transport agency confirmed on Monday that a slip at the southern end of the Whangamata–Hikuai stretch of State Highway 25, near the Opoutere turnoff, had been cleared and the road reinstated to full width. The route had been reduced to a single lane with temporary traffic lights since heavy rain on August 12, causing delays of up to 25 minutes for commuters travelling between Whangamata and Thames.
Waka Kotahi regional maintenance manager Rangi Te Aho said the slip was smaller than first feared but required geotechnical assessment before crews could safely reopen both lanes.
“We had about 40 cubic metres of material come down, and the concern was always whether the slope above it was stable,” Te Aho said. “Our geotech team signed it off last Friday, and we’ve had the shoulder resealed and the drainage channel rebuilt. We know how frustrating those lights were for people in Whangamata — it’s a long enough drive as it is.”
SH25A summit works move to night shift
Attention now shifts to State Highway 25A, the Kopu-Hikuai Road, where Waka Kotahi contractors will begin night works from Sunday, September 7, between the summit and the Hikuai junction. The programme, part of the agency’s $18 million Coromandel resilience package, involves shoulder widening, culvert replacement and new rockfall netting at three sites identified as high risk after Cyclone Gabrielle.
Work will run between 7pm and 5am, Sunday to Thursday, with stop-go traffic management and a 30km/h speed restriction through the active zones. Daytime traffic will be unaffected, though loose gravel and a rougher surface are expected.
Thames-Coromandel District Council’s Whangamata ward councillor, Mereana Whitiora, said the timing was deliberate but not without cost to the town.
“Waka Kotahi has been genuinely responsive to what our community told them — do the work, but don’t strangle us over summer,” Whitiora said. “Night works over the shoulder season is the compromise. That said, anyone who’s driven SH25A after dark knows it’s not a road you want to be second-guessing, so I’d urge people to slow down and expect the unexpected.”
Businesses watch the calendar closely
For Whangamata’s hospitality and retail sector, the reliability of the two state highways is not an abstract concern. The town’s population swells from around 4,500 permanent residents to more than 30,000 over the peak summer weeks, and most of that traffic arrives via SH25 from the north or SH25A over the hill.
Port Road café owner Jason McCallum said the August closures had already dented trade.
“We had a couple of weekends there where the regulars from Thames and Paeroa just didn’t bother coming over — you can’t blame them when it’s an extra half hour each way,” McCallum said. “The Christmas period is everything for us. If there’s a closure in late December, that’s not a bad week, that’s the year.”
Waka Kotahi has committed to a full moratorium on works on both SH25 and SH25A between December 20 and January 10, with only emergency response crews on call.
Beach Road and local network improvements
Closer to home, Thames-Coromandel District Council has begun a $1.2 million upgrade of the Beach Road and Port Road intersection, including a raised pedestrian crossing, new kerbing and improved stormwater capacity. The work, funded through the council’s long-term plan, follows years of concern about pedestrian safety near Williamson Park and the harbour foreshore during peak season.
Council transport manager Hine Ngatai said the intersection carried more than 9,000 vehicle movements a day in January.
“It’s the busiest pedestrian and vehicle conflict point in Whangamata, full stop,” Ngatai said. “We’ve had three reported near-misses in the past two summers. The raised crossing slows traffic naturally, and the new drainage will stop the ponding that’s been a problem outside the surf club for years.”
The intersection will remain open throughout, with temporary traffic management and periodic lane closures between 9am and 3pm. Work is scheduled for completion by mid-November.
What’s next
Waka Kotahi will hold a public information session at the Whangamata Memorial Hall on Tuesday, September 16, from 4pm to 7pm, covering the SH25A programme, the summer works moratorium and the agency’s longer-term resilience plans for the Coromandel network. Councillor Whitiora said she would push for a permanent fix at the Opoutere slip site rather than repeated clean-ups.
“Whangamata is a destination, not a detour,” she said. “We need the roading network to reflect that.”
Frequently asked questions
Is SH25 open between Whangamata and Thames?
Yes. Both lanes reopened this week after the Opoutere slip was cleared. No scheduled works are planned on this section before December.
Will the SH25A night works affect my travel time?
Expect minor delays of five to ten minutes between 7pm and 5am, Sunday to Thursday. Daytime travel is unaffected, though the surface may be rougher through active work zones.
When is the Beach Road intersection upgrade finished?
Mid-November, weather permitting. The intersection stays open, with lane closures limited to 9am–3pm on weekdays.
